In order to recreate the hustle and bustle of a fashion week as authentically as possible, Heidi Klum has a 50-meter-long catwalk set up in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The candidates are to present fashion from three different designers there. The Swiss Kevin Germanier dresses the female participants, while the men’s outfits are by the American fashion designer Ashton Michael. The German designer Esther Perbandt outfits both the women and the men. “The models should learn how different the designers’ wishes and expectations can be,” Heidi Klum explains the task.
In fact, all three have different requirements. “When I book a model, I have very high expectations. Just because my fashion is sustainable doesn’t mean it’s boring. You wear the fashion and not the fashion wears you,” says Gemanier. His colleague Ashton Michael demands: “I want to see strong eyes. They should feel the outfits, radiate energy and accept all their flaws.” Perhaps the most difficult challenge comes from Esther Perbandt: The designer wants the models to walk very slowly on the way there, and then dynamically and quickly on the way back. The candidates also hold a balloon in their left hand – in black, of course. Perbandt is known for exclusively designing black clothing. She pays a lot of attention to the smallest detail. When candidate Lucas steps in front of them with white socks, he is told: “If you run for me, you always have to wear black socks.”
In general, Lucas receives a lot of criticism for his posture and how he presents himself on the catwalk. The 24-year-old is angry. “I feel like I have to completely pretend. Become a different person and completely change my posture to please someone.” Jermaine, Frieder, Lea and Kadidja impress the designers the most during catwalk training.
It was supposed to be a relaxing day on the beach in Malibu, but for candidate Julian it ended up in hospital. The 24-year-old accidentally sprained his little finger while playing football. The X-ray showed that the bone was broken in three places. This was a shock for Julian. He feared that he would have to undergo surgery and leave the show early. But the doctor initially gave the all-clear. The finger was fixed with tape and Julian was able to return to the catwalk.
The three designers Kevin Germanier, Ashton Michael and Esther Perbandt are the guest judges in this episode. They sit on the catwalk with Heidi Klum and watch the individual presentations. As is often the case, not everything goes smoothly. Contestant Grace falls while walking the catwalk in high platform shoes. The 24-year-old had already twisted her ankle several times during rehearsals. Xenia and Dominic also have problems, Lydwine gets a shake of the head from designer Kevin Germanier because she doesn’t follow his instructions. He had instructed the models not to pose, but Lydwine kept one hand on her hip the entire time. Stella, on the other hand, receives praise. Germanier says of the mother of four: “She doesn’t do anything and is great. I have goosebumps.” He is also enthusiastic about Sara: “She looks better than the model in my show.” Among the men, Jermaine, Frieder, Aldin and Marvin stand out. Heidi Klum judges Linus: “He walks like a professional model.”
Lydwine and Lucas have to leave the show. Both were unable to impress on the catwalk and received some harsh criticism. Germanier accuses Lydwine of not following his instructions and not taking his fashion seriously. “It may look funny to you and it may not suit your taste. But for me it has a very high value,” says the designer. The 21-year-old is taking her exit with composure. “Unfortunately the journey is over for me. It hurts a lot, but I know that I can be proud of myself. I know what I have achieved. I have developed further and you will definitely hear from me.”
Lucas receives criticism again for his running style. “Your body seems very robotic and generally stiff. It’s like it doesn’t belong to your legs. Your upper body moved differently than your lower body,” says designer Ashton Michael. Esther Perbandt judges: “You seem to be too cerebral. You really want it. Just turn off your head and be yourself.” Heidi Klum also thinks: “You always want to do everything right, which I think is great, but unfortunately you get in your own way.” Lucas consoles himself with the fact that he made it into the top ten male models. “Here a door closes, but somewhere a new one opens. At some point I will say: It was a good thing the way it happened,” says the 24-year-old.
“You can get a particularly good look at the calves during this time.” (Heidi Klum about candidate Linus as he slowly walks down the catwalk)
